Consecration.

CONSECRATION .

EARL OF LATHOM LODGE ,

THIS new Lodge , No . 2560 , was consecrated at Bury , on Friday . The ceremony was performed in the Town Hall , by the Prov . G . M . of E . Lancashire Col . Le Gendre N . Starkie , assisted by his Officers , in the presence of over 100 Brethren . Lord Stanley , M . P ., who was unable to attend the annual

meeting of the Provincial Graud Lodge in May for investiture as Senior Grand Warden of fche Province , was present , and by virtue of his powers Colonel Starkie constituted the meeting into a Provincial Grand Lodge for a brief period , whilst his lordship was invested with the jewel and placed in the chair of his high

office . The Prov . G . M . said he had great pleasure in so investing the Senior Grand Warden . Many illustrious Brethren had worn the jewel , and he was perfectly certain that it would be worn by Lord Stanley in as worthy a way as by any of his predecessors in the office of which it was the emblem . The

Senior Grand Warden expressed his thanks to Colonel Starkie . He added that he felt proud of the high honour which had been conferred upon him . He hoped he would be able to follow in fche footsteps of those who had gone before him in the position , and , if possible , add to the credit of Freemasonry in East Lancashire and the country generally .

Before proceeding to the consecration the Prov . G . M . said it was highly gratifying to find that Masonry had made such progress in Bury as to justify the establishment of a sixth Lodge in the town . The large attendance proved that Masonry took up no small portion of the time and the thought of the Brethren

in that part of the Province , and this was also proved and emphasised by the liberality of the Brethren of Bury towards the Masonic Charities of the Province . The name of the new Lodge was most appropriate , in that it was the name of one who

was highly esteemed in the Order everywhere . He believed that Lord Lathom felt deeply the compliment paid to him by the founders . He ( Colonel Starkie ) hoped fche members of the Lodge would strive to reach and maintain a high reputation .

. After the prescribed form of consecration had been gone through , under the able direction of Brother Duffin , Brother Thomas Mellor P . M . 128 191 , was installed the first Worshipful Master of the Lodge , by Brother N . Earle P . P . G . W . The other Officers were invested in the following order : —Bros . Thomas

James Hutchinson S . W . 1392 S . W ., James Bailey Sec . 934 J . W ., George W . Yapp P . M . 1392 Treas ., John Thomas Criggall W . M . 1032 Sec , Robert Arkley Westrope 128 S . D ., Robert Bridge 191 j . D ., Richard B . Hardman 1392 I . G ., William Noar 42 Chaplain , and P . Bibby P . M . 128 Tyler .

In the evening there was a banquet at the Royal Hotel , Silver Street , afc which house the regular meetings of the new Lodge will be held . Brother Mellor W . M . presided over a numerous company . The customary toasts were honoured .

It should be mentioned , says the " Bury Guardian , " that for the use of the new Lodge all the furniture , jewels , gauntlets and collars have been purchased by the founders , so that the Earl of Lathom Lodge will commence its existence without ita members being put to any considerable expense .

The jewels , collars and gauntlets for the different Offices have been purchased and presented to the Lodge by those Brethren who will first occupy the position for which the articles are intended . The jewels are of sterling silver , and each bears a suitable inscription toith the name of the donor . The Lodge furniture is of a most handsome description .

The three chairs for the use of the Worshipful Master , the Senior Warden , and the Junior Warden are all of dark polished oak , upholstered in morocco leather , and they have been presented to the Lodge by Bro . T . J . Hutchinson . They each bear , on a silver plate , the following inscription ;—

Earl of Lathom Lodge , No . 2560 . Presented by BKO . T . J . HUTCHINSON S . W . October 1895 .

There are also three oak pedestals with brass candlesticks , the columns of which are carved in Corinthian , Ionic , and Doric styles , which have been presented by Bro . R . Bridge J . D . The Wardens columns bear fche following inscriptions : —

Earl of Lathom Lodge , No . 2560 . Presented by BRO . G . W . YAPP P . M . Treasurer . October 1895 . Brother J . R . Bailey J . W . presented a box of handsome

Working Tools to the Lodge , the Deacon ' s wands were presented by Brother R . A . Westrope , and the I . G ' s . dirk by Bro . R . B . Hardman . A handsome cushion and Bible have also been presented , the following inscription being in the Bible .

This Bible , along with the cushion , was presented to the Earl of Lathom Lodge , No . 2560 , by MRS . T . J . HUTCHINSON , wife of the first Senior Warden . 18 th October 1805 .

Cumberland And Westmorland.

CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORLAND .

LORD Henry Cavendish Bentiuck , M . P ., presided at this Provincial Grand Lodge , at Workington , on Friday , 18 th inst ., and invested the following Officers for the present year ;—Bros . Alex . Taylor .... Senior Warden T . M . RoUiushaw - - - - Junior Warden Rev . Joseph Whiteside - - - Chaplain

Rev . G . H . Smith - Assistant Chaplain R . J . Nelson .... Treasurer W . H . Chapman .... Registrar George Dalrymple - Secretary E . G . Mitchell .... Senior Deacon J . A . Illingworth - Junior Deacon

J . Burford - Superintendent of Works W . S . Ponton .... Director of Ceremonies Joseph Armstrong - Assist . Dir . of Ceremonies Josiah Purser - - - - " ) B . Smith - - - - C Standard Bearers George Watson - l

James Cooper ... . Organist John Kassall - Assistant Secretary C . J . Nanson ... . Pursuivant Joseph Matthews - Assistant Pursuivant W . Shaw - - - - ) J . O . Pox .... TMitchell - - - -

. J . ' F . Grant .... f Stewards J . Bouch .... J . Menedy - - - - _ W . J . Atkinson - Tyler .

After the completion of the Lodge business the Brethren marched in procession , headed by the Workington Artillery Volunteer band , to St . Michael ' s Parish Church ; where divine service was held . An excellent sermon was preached by Bro . Rev . J . W . Hartley Chaplain of the Province and of the Arlecdon Lodge , No . 1660 .

South Wales (Western Division).

SOUTH WALES ( WESTERN DIVISION ) .

THE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Carmarthen , under the banuer of St . Peter ' s Lodge , No . 476 , on Thursday of last week . The Provincial Grand Master Lord Kensington presided over a very large attendance of the Brethren , every Lodge in the Province being well represented .

Service was held in St . Peter ' s Church , to which the Brethren marched in procession , and a sermon was preached by the P . G . Chaplain Bro . W . Evans , Aberystwyth . Mr . Wesley Martin presided at the organ , and the choir of St . Peter ' s assisted in the service .

The Provincial Grand Master appointed the following as the Officers for the ensuing year ;—

Bros . Vaughan Davies 1072 - - - Senior Warden T . W . Barker 476 - Junior Warden W . Evans 1072 ... - Chaplain Perrott 1072 .... Treasurer D . H . Brown 464 - - - - Registrar

J . James 464 - - - - Secretary J . Ll . Thomas 671 ... Senior Deacon J . Coram 990 .... Junior Deacon W . S . Phillips 476 - - - - Superintendent of Works T . Rogers 464 ... . Director of Ceremonies

C . E . Sparks 1177 - - - - Assist . Dir . of Ceremonies W- »• Beer 378 - - - - I Standard Bearers J . T . Robinson 1748 - - - ) J . W . Gardiner 1177 - - - Organist R . M . J . Leonard 366 - - - Pursuivant

J . F . Hancock 990 ... - Assistant Pursuivant W . H . Daysh 366 - - - - ) E . Aslatt 378

-T . Lewis 2001 - - - - }• Stewards H . Studt 476 - J . W . Porbes 476 - - - - ) E . Bowen 464 Tyler . After the closing of Provincial Grand Lodge a banquet took place at the Ivy Bush Hotel .

It was right and proper that the Prince of Wales should be invited fco place himself at the head of the movement for celebrating a centenary landmark of Masonic history in 1898 . He will in that year have completed his thirtieth year as a Freemason , his initiation having been undertaken by the late King of

Sweden , when he was staying in the north . Shortly after his return to England he was made a Past Grand Master of the English Craft . He succeeded Lord Ripon as Grand Master in 1875 , has been on several occasions Worshipful Master of the Royal Alpha Lodge , No . 16 , and is permanent Worshipful

Master of Lodge No . 259 , which bears his name , ana to wnicn he introduced the Duke of Connaught in 1874 . Saturday last was the semi-jubilee of his installation as Patron of the Freemasons of Scotland , an office which was held in turn by the two previous occupants of the British throne . — " Realm , "